Holiday Candles - Questions and Answers - Part 2

We will address more of the Holiday Candles - Questions and Answers - on how to safely remove candle wax from our carpeting, chemical reactions while burning our candles, types of wicks and other general questions.

How do I remove wax from carpeting or fabric?

When the candle wax has hardened, gently remove the larger pieces of candle wax. After you have removed the larger pieces of wax, get a clean paper towel and place it over the wax spill. Warm the paper towel by using an iron on the lowest setting or a blow dryer on its lowest heat setting. The wax under the towel will begin to melt and soak up into the towel. Blot the wax and repeat as necessary until the wax is removed.

Another way is to use brown paper bags from the grocery store. Open up the bag, lay it across the wax, turn the iron setting to high, iron across the brown paper bag and the brown paper bag will absorb the wax. This tip is for a large area of wax on your carpeting. You will need many brown paper bags opened in order to help absorb the candle wax from a large candle wax spill.

It is highly recommend that you consult your fabric or carpet manufacturer's instructions before trying either of these methods. Should the wax still be present after using either one or both of these methods, please consult your home owners insurance to see if your carpet can be replaced.

Personally, I consulted my carpeting manufacturer's instructions, called a carpeting house, checked our home owners' insurance policy and used the internet to see what other options I had when my huge 3 wick Holiday Candle blew out its side and red wax melted onto a large area of my carpeting. After removing 95% of the wax, the wax residue and the red coloring made a huge mess on 5 feet of my carpeting. Our home owners insurance did pay to replace my carpeting.

How do I remove wax from wood surfaces?

You can place a bag of ice over the hot candle wax so the candle wax can harden, then use a dull object to help remove the larger pieces of wax. Be sure to use a dull object on your wood furniture when removing the larger chips of wax so you won't ruin your wood finish. Should any wax spots be left on your furniture, place several sheets of paper towel over the wax spill, set your iron to a warm setting and iron over the paper toweling and try not to iron your wood furniture.

After you have done all of the above suggestions and there still is a residue of wax left, take mayonnaise, smear it over the surface with the wax residue and just wipe away the wax from the surface. This will also clean your wood surface.

How do I get all of the wax out of my candle holder?

Allow your candle holder to cool, place it in the freezer for approximately 10-15 minutes to allow the wax to harden, take it out of the freezer and hit it against the palm of your hand. The wax should pop out into your hand. If this does not work, use hot water to dissolve the wax. Be sure to dry your holder before using it for another candle.

You can also remove the wax from your container by using a hair dryer. When all the wax is melted, wipe away the melted wax with a clean cloth. Be careful. The container can get very hot when you hold the blow dryer close to your container for a a few minutes, especially if it is metal.

Do candles contain lead?

There is no lead in the candle wax and no member of the National Candle Association (NCA), which accounts for 90% of all candles made in the USA, uses lead wicks. NCA members voluntarily agreed more than 25 years ago not to use lead wicks. Although some candles, primarily imports, reportedly contain lead wicks, the majority of wicks manufactured in the USA are made of 100% cotton or cotton-paper combinations. Some USA made candles do contain metal wicks. These are typically zinc or tin wicks which are known to be safe and non-toxic.

What sort of chemical reaction is created by burning a candle?

When your candle burns, the flame consumes the wax to produce water vapor and carbon dioxide, the same harmless byproducts humans produce when exhaling. This is true for all types of candle waxes.

Are certain candle waxes better than others?

No. All types of quality candle waxes perform well, burn cleanly and safely when formulated and used properly. Candle manufacturers select waxes or blends of waxes based on their characteristics and their suitability for specific types of candles.

Tobey Anne Craft, of Tobey's Enterprises LLC, is the creator and owner of Tobey's candles. To find more information about candle tips visit [http://tobeyscandles.com] and you also will find Scented Candles [http://www.tobeyscandles.com/statusrock.html], Unscented Candles [http://www.tobeyscandles.com/rosefloatingunscented.html], Aromatherapy Gift Sets and much more.